


Christmas Shopping

by milka121



Category: Tales of Zestiria
Genre: Drama, Gakkou Gurashi AU, I don't know how to tag this not to spoil anything, M/M, just trust me, sormik advent calendar day 9
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-09
Updated: 2017-12-09
Packaged: 2019-02-12 12:53:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,432
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12959640
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/milka121/pseuds/milka121
Summary: Sorey and friends go shopping before Christmas.Or, a Gakkou Gurashi AU no one asked for.





	Christmas Shopping

**Author's Note:**

> I swear to god, I really planned to write something fluffy for this but I watched Gakkou Gurashi and it kind of happened by itself

“Tomorrow we will go shopping,” Mikleo says one day.

Sorey almost falls out of his chair in surprise. “Really?!”

Mikleo smiles with fondness. “Really.”

Lailah sends Mikleo a quick glance from the corner of her eye. Her lips press together - that worried look is not pretty on her, Sorey decides, but then again, Lailah is always pretty. Lailah is just not fond of shopping. Every time anyone proposes it, her face tenses and the delicate light in her eyes disappears.

But she will come back to normal soon, Sorey is sure. She always does.

“Alisha?” Lailah says, her smile returning on her face. “Could you please help Sorey with his math homework in the library?”

From across the room, Alisha nods quickly and gets up from the floor.

Sorey whines. “Now? But it’s for after the Christmas break! There will be a lot of time to do this!”

“I’m your teacher,” Lailah reminds him. “It is my duty to take care of your education. And we all know that you will try to postpone doing this for however long you can.”

Sorey pouts, but obediently stands up. He follows Alisha out of the door.

(But he still can hear the hushed voices: _We can’t… reckless… too many of them… snow… but he…_

Sorey doesn’t listen.)

* * *

Sorey hums and laughs and sings happily while they go through the snow outside. It has been a long time since he had felt the fresh air - but it’s good! He doesn’t need to go out that often anyway. In the school there is plenty of room, and there is Mikleo and Lailah and Alisha, so he is not alone, never. There is always someone with him.

And that’s great! But the snow is good, too. Even if Mikleo hushes him over and over again and constantly declines to have a snowball fight.

But that can’t spoil Sorey’s mood. They are going shopping! And not _just_ shopping - it’s almost Christmas, after all, so there will be even more fun than usual. Even if there are no decorations in sight, the snow is enough of a look, sparkling in the morning light.

Alisha lingers a couple meters behind the rest of the group, her shovel in hand. Sorey takes in a breath to call her, but before he can utter a word, Mikleo’s hand covers his mouth.

“Hush,” Mikleo says. “Remember? We need to be quiet or the hellions will find us.”

Hellions! Of course! Sorey barely stops himself from smirking. Mikleo is so silly, believing this childish tale, but Sorey will play along for now.

He nods his head when Mikleo gets his hand away. “Hush.”

“Hush,” agrees Mikleo. The white smoke flows out of his mouth when he speaks.

Lailah at the front turns her head around. Her red scarf flies through the air as she moves her head. “We need to hurry.”

“I know,” Mikleo replies. He gestures towards Alisha, and then grabs Sorey’s hand. “Come on.”

Sorey wants to stay and play in the snow, but he doesn’t struggle. Mikleo hates when Sorey is stubborn. It makes easier for hellions to find them, Mikleo says, and Sorey doesn’t want to distress Mikleo even more. Mikleo is under enough pressure already, being the president of the School Life Club and all. Of course, the rest helps him, but Sorey is too air-headed, Alisha too quiet and Lailah too preoccupied with other things to support Mikleo as he would need it.

The snow crunches under their feet as they quicken their pace. Sorey looks around curiously, but nothing seems to have changed; the same old buildings, the same colorless supermarket near the school. Only the thick layer of snow gives out that the time has moved at all since they have been here some time ago.

Mikleo looks around and drags Sorey further, right through the street. Sorey wants to tell him off for crossing the street like that - after all, at any given moment a car could emerge from the corner and charge right at them - but he just shakes his head instead, seeing that Lailah runs across, too. Well, at least if they die, they would die together.

Lailah comes into the shop first. She has to push the automatic doors open - they are broken, as always. Someone should repair them finally, yet as far as Sorey can remember, they have always been that way.

He and Mikleo push forward and come into the shop.

The supermarket is surprisingly quiet for the middle of the day right before Christmas… But Sorey doesn’t mind. Sorey hates waiting for ages in the queue to get to the cash desk. And besides, that would mean he would be able to spend some more time with Mikleo.

Some more alone time. Sorey just barely stops himself from smiling when Alisha announces that she would rather wait outside, and Lailah, with determination on her face, tells them she has to look for something important. She makes sure they remember what to do if they would need her - not call out, only use their walkie-talkie to send her a signal. She really is a bit overprotective, but it’s a part of her charm, so Sorey is understanding and nods accordingly.

As soon as she disappears from their sight Sorey grabs Mikleo’s hand and pushes Mikleo into the next aisle.

“Sorey, we-”

Sorey kisses Mikleo before the other can finish the sentence. Mikleo tenses under Sorey’s hands for a second, and then relaxes; his hands find their way to Sorey’s hair and soon Sorey can’t tell which one of them is moaning and groaning into the other’s mouth.

Sorey leaves a trail of kisses down Mikleo’s chin, then lower, lower; he opens the collar of Mikleo’s coat and nibbles at his neck, sucks on the delicate skin. Mikleo gasps, his breath tickling Sorey’s hair.

“Sorey,” Mikleo says, breathless, “we should-”

“Please,” Sorey cuts him off, and licks at the spot he knows Mikleo loves. “Please.”

Mikleo shudders, sighs - and Sorey smirks.

* * *

Later, they find some christmas tree lights. It would be a great present for them all, Sorey decides, so he plugs them into the electric outlet in the mall, but they don’t light up.

“They must be broken,” Sorey says. “We should try another one.”

He reaches for another box, but Mikleo stops him.

“I don’t think it’s a good idea,” Mikleo says - and there is this expression again, this sadness and pain clouding his dark eyes.

It disappears as quickly as it appears, though, and before long, a smile stretches Mikleo’s lips, and Sorey isn’t so sure that he has seen anything anymore.

“Come on, let’s find Lailah,” Mikleo says.

They scoop their shopping bags and with a rattle of cans, they are gone.

* * *

Lailah narrows her eyebrows when she sees the marks on Mikleo’s neck, but she doesn’t say anything. At least, until they are back safe in school, and Sorey is with Alisha in the library.

“You told me you wouldn’t do this again outside.”

Mikleo shrugs. “We were safe. There was not even one of them around.”

“What if they were, though? What if they creeped on you when you were occupied by Sorey? What if you were bitten?”

“I had this under control.”

“I shouldn’t have left you two alone.”

“No!” Mikleo raises his voice, but one look from Lailah is enough to calm him down.

She glares at him, her mouth pursed… And then she leaves out a sigh; a long, tired sigh.

“Mikleo, I know you care about him. We all do. But I still think it would be best if we tell him the truth.”

“No,” Mikleo opposes, quieter this time. “He’s… He is better off unaware of this all. If he, somehow, can live a normal life like that… If he can be happy... It’s not fair for us to take it away from him.”

Lailah sees how Mikleo winces, trying to hold back tears. It isn’t an easy choice; none of this had been easy, not ever for her, a grown adult. These kids don’t deserve this.

But they must live on. It’s the only thing that is left for them.

“I will go see Sorey,” Mikleo murmurs and gets up from his chair. He doesn’t raise his eyes as he leaves the room.

Lailah sighs and looks out the window at the place that once have been a school playing field.

The signs of blood has been covered by snow, but the undead, dragging their bodies slowly through the grounds, are the same as always.

Lailah closes the curtains.


End file.
